The Weasel and the Crow
by Kuroba's Pet Fish
Summary: 16-year-old detective Kudo Karasu never realized how much like her father she was until she made that fatal mistake. Now, with the help of Haibara, she must hide her identity while trying to end what remains of the BO. 2nd generation. OCxOC
1. Daddy's Little Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own detective conan, and, no matter how hard I try, it'll never be mine. :'(

This is my first fanfic, so be nice!

Enjoy...

* * *

"Remember, Karasu," Kudo Shinichi began, before I left out the front door. "Always-"

"Always watch your back, get the police for help, never go in alone, and absolutely, positively never follow suspicious men wearing black. Ever," I finished for the detective, batting my eyelashes at him. "I got it, Tou-san. Oi, what type of baka do you think I am? I'm sixteen you know. You've dealt with more dangerous criminals than I have since you were twelve! I _think_ I can handle a shopping trip in Tokyo Square." I waved goodbye and slammed the door before my father could say anymore.

Oi, Tou-san could be annoying. I couldn't even leave the house without him quoting that dumb speech. How could people look up to _him_? Famous detective, yeah right. Dad was just some paranoid mystery otaku who lived under a rock. It wasn't as if being paranoid, or a mystery otaku, were bad things. He just made them unbearable. Shinichi had three talents: solving cases, running into dead bodies, and making my life miserable.

Well, now wasn't the time for me to be sulking. Kaa-san would break my arm for missing the Beika-Tokyo train, literally. I shuddered. It was _not_ a good idea to aggravate a karate champion, especially if she was your mom, and she got her black belt in fifth grade. With the thought of light poles broken in half, I ran off, hoping the transit hadn't already left.

At first glance, Beika seemed like the place you'd raise a child. It looked like a nice little suburb, full of parks and kids playing in the street. If my life had taught me anything, it was that looks could be deceiving. Frankly, it was a perfect place for a Kudo to grow up because it had the HIGHEST homicide rate in the world. And, with my dad here, it also had the lowest unsolved crime rate.

As I hustled down the sidewalk, several mothers shuffled their brats to the other side of the street, as if I had some disease. Typical. Some teenagers started shooting air-soft pellets at me, making sure only to hit me in the head and the middle of the back. They were aiming at what any moron knew were the fatal areas. Actually, their aim was improving.

Two high school girls strolled out of a hair salon, fluffing their new blond curls. One of them eyed me and burst out into laughter. When they flaunted past, I caught her scoffing, "Did you see what she was _wearing_? What is she, a boy?"

The girl next to her, whose hair was curly, grew wide-eyed. "Do you _know_ who that is?" she breathed. "That's Kudo Shinichi's daughter. I heard that everyone around them _dies_. Detective or not, let's get out of here!" Both girls giggled in all their pink glory as they ran in the opposite direction, leaving me standing by the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, and still being pelted on the head by a never ending stream of plastic bee-bees. They might as well have tattooed CURSED across my face.

Geez, sometimes I hated my dad. As famous as Beika was for its death rate, he was even more famous for being around the wrong place at the right time. Kudo Shinichi, Detective of the East, the Sherlock of the 90's, was a death magnet. He was also a famous detective, well known for his deductions ever since he was my age. But I wasn't High School Detective, Kudo Karasu; I was Shinichi's kid, nothing else.

Needless to say, my pity-party was cut short by the sound of wood knocking against plastic, followed by a string of all too familiar Osakan curses ending with, "SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU AHOS!!! I just don't want to be pelted by those damn things while I'm walking across the street!" With that, the Osakan boy stormed off.

Moments later, my braid was fiercely tugged by the dark-skinned teen in greeting. "Mushi-mushi Kudo-chan," Itachi beamed, forgetting that he had just previously denied knowing me. "Guess which lucky contestant is now stuck going on a shopping trip with his mom because his father ditched him for a case?" he asked sarcastically, putting away the kendo blade he seemed to always have. "Well? I'll give you a prize if you get it correct."

I turned to face my childhood friend and raised an eyebrow. "No offense, Hattori, but a pat on the back isn't much of a prize. Oh, and sorry about your dad ditching you."

Hattori Itachi wasn't the best choice of friend, but it wasn't like I had many choices, unless you counted the homicide unit. He was loud, he was obnoxious, he was hectic, he always rushed head first into things (including the wall), but he was sweet. Ignorant, yes, but a good friend all the same.

Itachi pouted at my less than enthusiastic reply. The boy actually _pouted_. "Who's to say I was going to give you a pat on the back?"

"Well, what else would you do? No offense, but you have as much creativity at an old gym sock."

"Um, I could give you kendo lessons."

"Um, no."

"I could stop tugging on your braid."

"You should stop doing that anyways. It's not very smart to annoy a girl who can break your arm using twelve different techniques," I scoffed. It was true. As if on cue, the sign changed to "walk" and I began to move forward, only to realize that Itachi was frozen, actually _believing_ my threat. "Come on, Mamma's Boy," I called. "We're going to miss the train!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we strode into the train station to see a worried Mrs. Hattori and a very irate Kudo Ran. Crap, Kaa-san was mad. This wasn't good. It wasn't like we _intended_ to be late. It just... sort of happened. One minute it's bright and sunny, the next it's pouring down. No way was I going to stand in the rain in a white tank-top and jeans. Especially not with Itachi standing _right there_. Uh-uh, you could forget it.

"Well, I see you two took your time," my mother said, tapping her foot. "Should I even ask what took you so long? Kazuah-kun and I were worried sick. We figured you kids ran into _another_ case. Are we correct?" Man, sarcasm was scary on her. Despite the excuses I should've been forming in my mind, all I could think was, _Please don't break my arm! Please don't break my arm!_

Itachi self-consciously adjusted his baseball cap as I twirled my braid in my fingers. Anger radiated off of Kaa-san's dark chocolate eyes. Her arms remained crossed, her foot tapping more rapidly the longer it took for us to answer. As I turned to Itachi, I saw him twitch a little, the fear in his brown eyes ever-present. Then a strange thought came to mind as I fiddled with the good luck charm my best friend had given me when we were in fourth grade. _How come only I have blue eyes? Oh, shut up, Karasu! Is now really the time to be thinking this?_

Kaa-san sucked in a breath. "I'll ask you one last time..."

Both Hattori-kun and I began talking simultaneously. You couldn't understand a thing we were saying, we were talking so fast. Heck, I was so nervous, I started slipping into English. "_... and then I fell on Weasel trying to get out of the rain and I got all embarrassed and..._" I spat in English, before I realized what I was saying. My hands shot over my mouth. Did I really just say that _out loud_?!

Itachi looked at me strangely, an eyebrow cocked. Oh no. Please no. "_Weasel_?" he questioned. "What the heck does that even mean? Aho-chan, you know none of us here speak English."

If it was possible to die of embarrassment or relief, I would've dropped faster than half the bodies I've come across. I swear, my face was as red as a tomato. "Well, uh..." I stuttered, the entire group's eyes on me. "You see..." Man, they were all _staring_ at me. "I was, um, just saying what Itachi said, but in English." I gave a weak smile, hoping against hope that they believed my lie. The last thing I wanted was my _mom_ knowing I had a crush on my best friend.

And that was when a reporter nearby recognized me. Within seconds, I was being blinded by flashes, hundreds of microphones in my face, sleazy reporters barking questions such as:

"Is it true that you've solved over 900 cases?"

"Is there anything that the Japanese Nancy Drew would like to say to the public?"

"Are you on another case?"

"Who do you believe is the better detective; you or your father?"

"Are you and Hattori Itachi officially dating?"

"Where are..."

My head began to pound. The cameras, the recorders, the paparazzi; they were driving me nuts. Instinctively, I pressed my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, wishing it would all go away. Finally, I shouted, "Shut up!" But the chaos only strengthened.

Peering through the crowd, I noticed a woman in the back. Her platinum blond hair was tied up, the rest of it hidden under a black bowler hat. She wore gloves on her hands and an ink colored trench coat that matched. She appeared to be in her twenties and was separate from the group, her sinister eyes darting around the station. The woman caught me staring at her, then smiled a cruel smile and left, as if beckoning for me to follow her. I wanted to follow her. The yearn to do so seeped into me. It was those eyes. They were the eyes of a killer.

Desperate, I proclaimed, "Hey, isn't that Yoko getting off that train?!" Everyone's heads turned in the direction I was pointing, and with that, I snuck away. The figure of the woman was getting smaller and smaller. I had to hurry. I had just reached the exit of the station when a hand clamped onto my shoulder, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" its owner asked. His grip didn't loosen any as he spoke.

I gazed at the strange woman's fading body longingly before turning to Itachi. "What does it matter?!" I spat.

"Geez, Karasu, when did you get such a big head? You finally got people to like you and you sneak off. Is being famous that bad, Your Highness?"

"You think I _like_ being 'famous'? It's a pain in the butt. The only reason I'm famous is because I'm Kudo Shinichi's daughter. Just so you know, most people _don't_ like me. In fact, most folks hate me!" I yelled, a little louder than I meant.

He shouted right back, "Come on! It's just a few reporters. You probably ran off to do some other case that you'll get all the credit for. You might not remember, but I'm a detective too. When are you going to get off your high horse and realize that you're NOT invincible, and you're NOT going to solve every case you come across?!"

"I'll be right back," I promised, giving him a fake smile. "I just have to check something out. Okay? The train doesn't leave for another 45 minutes, so I'll be back in plenty of time to catch it. It'll only take a few minutes." Before he could answer, I ran off, the sense of dread overwhelming me almost as much as my innate curiosity.

In the distance, I heard Itachi say, "Fine! I don't care if you ever come back!"

* * *

As I rushed along, the lady in black, an American, turned the corner, walking into a deserted alley. I watched, hidden, as she pulled out her cell phone, also black, and dialed a number into it. My eyes flashed in recognition. It was like the song. My mother used to sing it when I was little, but what was it called?

The American put her phone to her ear. After a moment of silence, she reported, "Boss, I called to confirm that the target has been successfully detained and eliminated." There was a pause. "No, I wasn't followed. But, Sir... I understand." After a while, she smirked, adding, "Don't worry, the Raven will be detained in five... four... three... two..."

From behind me, a husky voice said, "Hey, kid, didn't your parents ever tell you not to eaves drop?" I turned around just in time to see a led pipe coming towards me, before I crashed to the ground, paralyzed by the impact.

"Damn," the one with the led pipe said. She had cropped brown hair and a butterfly tattoo on her left eye. "The one time I _don't_ have my gun! What do you suppose we do with her, Margarita?"

The blond smiled. "Be patient, my dear associate. I've been graciously supplied with Apotoxin. She'll be dead soon enough." Margarita kneeled down next to my form, pulling a red and white pill out of her glove. She stuck it in my mouth, forcing me to swallow.

At first, everything was numb, and for a second I thought I would die peacefully. Then the pain began. My skin was acid, my bone and flesh melting and tearing. Each blade of grass felt like a chainsaw jabbing me from the side. I was sweating, and it hurt so bad, but I was too weak to groan. Each breath was labored, each heart beat pounding against my ribs, fighting to prevail. My head was throbbing, oh it was throbbing! I could hear every gust of wind, every gasp for air coming from my mouth. I screamed.

"Don't worry," Margarita whispered to me. "It won't hurt for long." That bastard. She smiled as she stood up, but the expression seemed somewhat sadder. "Sleep tight, my little Raven."

Only a single thought went through my mind. _I'm actually dying._

Sorry 'bout the cliff hanger! Oh, and yes, this is a little sappy at points, but I'm not satisfied with my work without it. Guess that's just how us Texas girls work! remember: Only one truth prevails, and Reviews mean updates!

* * *


	2. A Little Surprise

I woke up to complete darkness. Night had fallen on the little district of Beika. There was no one around. The alley was empty save a few trash cans and a cat. I groaned. How long was I out? It had been noon when I left the station. Now, it seemed near midnight.

A sharp pain coursed through my spine as I tried desperately to sit up. I let out a small cry and crashed to the ground. Great. How was I supposed to get home if I couldn't move? There was a chance I would die anyways. I laid there in silence, trying to gain my strength. Instantly, I remembered that morning.

_"...absolutely, positively never follow suspicious men wearing black. Ever."_

_"I _think_ I can handle a shopping trip in Tokyo square."_

_"_ _That's Kudo Shinichi's daughter. I heard that everyone around them _dies_."_

_"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU AHOS!!!"_

_"_ _We figured you kids ran into another case."_

_"... you're NOT invincible..."_

_"It'll only take a few minutes."_

_"Fine! I don't care if you ever come back!"_

From somewhere in the distance, I heard footsteps. I inhaled with fright. No. If Margarita discovered I was alive, I'd be done for. Then she'd go after Kaa-san, then Tou-san, then Itachi... no, this can't be happening.

I could feel the light of the flashlight fall on me, but I was too petrified to meet the owner's gaze. Whoever it was had a walkie-talkie on them, a static-filled voice speaking on the other line. He responded to the unspoken question by reporting, "It's a little girl."

Okay, that threw me off a bit. This guy didn't sound out of college, and he was calling _me_ a little girl. I scrambled into a sitting position, ignoring the throbbing in my head. My gaze met that of a concerned police officer, age no later than 27.

"Hey, little lady," he said. "Are you okay? That's a nasty bump on your head." The policeman crouched down to his knees, using a soft voice, as if he were talking to a hurt puppy. "Officer Tsuburaya is going to take you to the Police Box and fix you up," he continued in third person, before adding, "-and get you a change of clothes, too."

Clothes? I looked down and gasped in surprise. My tank-top hung around my frame like a dress. My jeans, a size 8, now looked 7 sizes too big. Self-consciously, I readjusted my belt buckle, heat gathering in my face. As I was looking down at my shoes, which should've belonged to a giant, two large hands scooped me up.

"I, uh, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I yelped, watching the ground (and my shoes) grow farther and farther away.

"You alright?" Officer Tsuburaya asked. I nodded, not knowing how the heck he managed to lift me up.

"Hai, Ojiisan, my head just hurts." Wait. Was that _my_ voice? It sounded like I sucked up a balloon full of helium! When I had asked Grandma what my voice sounded like, she told me, 'Like a singer, slightly deep and full of melody, but still high enough to be female'. This, right now, wasn't that. Of course, I didn't believe her description, but it was more accurate than this Minnie Mouse voice!

The police officer placed me in the back seat, I still too baffled to even think about running. He shut the car door and turned on the engine, flaring the siren for a second, just as a little joke.

I turned my head to look out the window. How late was it anyways? I jumped. Staring back at me was a little girl, six, maybe seven. She had sky-blue eyes and long, tangled black hair. She wore a white top that covered her feet and ridiculously large pants that were bunched up to reveal little pink toes. For whatever reason it was, (the poison, the head wound, my voice, or the reflection) it was when Officer Tsuburaya asked me, "What's your name, little miss?" that I fainted.

**Police Box** (3rd POV)

Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya was currently reporting to his boss, Chief Miwako Takagi. He was asked for every detail concerning the small child. When was she found? Where? In what condition? Did she give a name? Mitsuhiko answered each question, growing quiet when it came to what information he had pried out of the little girl on the way there.

Chief Takagi looked up from her notes. "So let me get this straight," she began, thumbing her wedding ring. "You brought her straight here without even getting a name?" A nod. "Well, I suppose that's alright. The girl was injured and lost, so there was no need to put any stress on her."

She looked at the girl sleeping on the couch. The elementary student now wore a white Hello Kitty T-shirt, light pink skort, and matching sandals. Strange, she looked a little like Mouri-kun, er, Kudo-chan. It was hard remembering that Ran and Shinichi got married around the same time she and Wataru did.

The six-year-old's eyes popped open, and sat up, saying, "Huh, whaah, where am I?" She scanned the room before getting an 'oh duh' expression. Miwako snickered; kinda' reminded her of Karasu...

"Glad to see you're awake, sweetie," the female police chief said, startling the child. "Now, can you tell me what your name is?" Takagi sat down next to the girl, trying to make her more comfortable. The Police Box was no place for a kid.

The pink-clad child grew nervous, unconsciously reaching towards her neck. "It's, uh, it's uh... it's gone!" she gasped. "My necklace, where'd it go?!"

Officer Tsuburaya stepped up to them, pulling the charm out of his pocket. The word luck glinted in kanji on each side. "It looked a little dirty and old, so I..."

"GIVE IT!" the girl spat, yanking it out of Mitsuhiko's hand. Then, she muttered her thanks before putting it on.

For the third time that day, the girl was asked for her name. "It's, ummm... well, it's...oh, it's Christie! My name's Christie," she said at last. She smiled, finally thinking she did something right. The girl relaxed a little. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

"Okay," Chief Takagi countered. "Can you tell me your last name?" The small child's jaw fell, as if to say, _You want that too?_ "Honey, we need to know your full name for our report. Also, how else are we going to contact your parents?"

"Oh, that makes sense, I guess," replied Christie. "My full name is Christie... Irene...uh," She started fiddling her charm with her right thumb and finger, avoiding the officer's eyes. "Christie Irene, ummm..."

A voice from behind finished for her. "Edogawa. That's Christie Irene Edogawa. She's with me." All three heads spun around to see a woman in her mid twenties wearing a white lab coat and gloves over her brown dress suit. She had short, tea-colored hair and pale skin, lighter than most, and cold, observing eyes.

After an awkward silence, Christie squealed, "Aunt Ai!" She clasped her hand over her mouth before adding, "Oh, sorry, I mean, Dr. Haibara."

"Ai-chan, what are you doing here?" asked Tsuburaya. He approached her in greeting before she interrupted him.

"Edogawa-kun's on a case in America and asked me to take care of his daughter for the time being." she stated monotonously. "When I failed to locate her at the train station, I returned home, checking the police lines for anything. At the news of you finding a small child, I came here, just in case it was my charge. It seems I was correct."

Chief Takagi blinked. That certainly was strange. It seemed odd that Conan-kun would send his daughter half-way around the world because of some case. What was even less likely was him putting her in the care of the police force's nearly heartless forensic pathologist. Then again, neither he nor Ai-chan were normal as children. Miwako shuddered. She still had nightmares about how the young, bi-speckled boy would approach dead bodies as if they were nothing more than evidence. She coughed. "Oh, well, I see. Then, if we could just see the paperwork..."

"That is neither necessary nor possible," intervened the scientist. "Christie was born in the U.S. It'd take months to transfer the appropriate documents over here and translate them to Japanese. Besides, Boss, don't you trust me enough to care for a child? Or do you think I'm only capable of dealing with carnage? As for another thing, Takagi-keibu, if you have trouble believing this grade schooler and I know each other, take note that when I entered the premises, she addressed me as 'Aunt'. If there are any other objections, please speak up now, or otherwise notify me at my home." With that, the half-brit turned to leave, before adding. "Do hurry up, Christie-kun. It is getting awfully late."

Mitsuhiko managed somehow to stifle his laughter as he watched the expression written across the chief's face. His girlfriend tend to get that reaction from people, especially from her superiors. Yes, his girlfriend. He and Ai-chan had been going out for several months now, many of their coworkers raising an eyebrow at the odd couple. Miwako Takagi merely gaped as the little girl and vigilant chemist left the Police Box hand in hand.

**Block 2 No. 22, Beika City** (1st POV)

Okay, this was bad. Aunt Ai- uh, I mean Dr. Haibara-san, thought I was this Christie Edogawa. What would she do if she found out I wasn't her? She'd probably run some experiments on the "De-aged Homo sapient". Maybe she'd just throw me out on the street. No, she'd interrogate me, then send me back with Chief Takagi. I had two options: a) flat out tell her the truth. or b) pray like hell she doesn't find out.

"So, Christie," the woman began as we walked down the street towards the bus stop. "How are you enjoying Japan so far? It must be really strange compared to your old life." The entire time her eyes looked straight ahead, each of her steps rigid.

Inwardly, I smirked. I had learned at a young age that Haibara-san was _not_ a people person. She had even less luck with children. It had been a good thing that I wasn't normal, even as an elementary school student. Otherwise, the scientist next to me would've had more than a few gray hairs. "Hai," I said. "It is weird."

Most of the bus ride was silent before Haibara-san said timidly, "This must be a really difficult case your father's on. You know, one of my neighbor's daughter, Karasu, is also a tentei. She left on a difficult case not too long ago." She brushed some imaginary dust off her skirt, as if she wanted to say more.

"Oh, uh, really?" I asked, kicking my feet back and forth. Must. Think. Little. Girl. "Is she nice?" After a moment, the adult nodded. "Good." I said. "I didn't want Aunt Ai to have mean neighbors." Geez, I was giving myself cavities.

As we walked up the front steps, she held her hand in mine, (or mine in hers, since it was so much bigger) like a mother would her child. But I wasn't a child, and she definitely wasn't my mother. I decided I'd tell her that I was Karasu as soon as we got inside. She was a chemist and a forensic pathologist. The effects of poisons were second nature to her, right?

Haibara-san dug out her keys, saying sweetly, "Just make yourself at home, Christie." As soon as the door opened, she shoved me inside, snapped the door shut and locked it behind her. The woman put her back to the wood, glaring at me. "Alright, Kudo," she hissed. "Explain everything. _Now_."


	3. Little White Lies

Disclaimer: If I owned Detective Conan, Heiji and Kazuha would be officially dating and KID would show up more often. Sadly, it isn't mine.

Note: "**This is speaking in English.**" "_This is whispering/singing._" "This is speaking Japanese." _These are thoughts._

* * *

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered. "My name's Christie, not Kudo." Was it me, or was the woman _analyzing_ me? This was not good. Heck, that was the understatement of the century. I was dead, so dead. I had to calm down. _I'm not giving up yet, _I thought. _She doesn't have any proof_.

Haibara-san smirked. It was like she knew how frazzled I'd get when she went from "angelic babysitter" to "bad cop" within a millisecond. "As much as I do love mind games, Karasu, now really isn't the time. Before you point out the obvious, 'humans can't shrink,' might I suggest that they can and have? I know from... personal experience." She looked at me with amused eyes, like she was challenging me to say something to disprove her ever correct hypothesis.

"Lady," I stated confidently. "You're crazy."

"What if I told you I had undeniable proof that you _aren't_ Christie Edogawa?" Ai-san inquired. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees so that her amber irises were leveled with my blue ones. "Would you then tell me your real name and what happened?"

I remained silent. There was an edge to this question, that much I knew, but I didn't know what. If I replied with a simple yes or no, it could give away my secret. I inhaled, fingering my necklace. "So, you think this isn't my real name and have a legit reason why? I still think you're a few fries short of a happy meal, but you've piqued my curiosity. Go ahead."

She grinned, like she was a leopard and I, her prey, was pinned to the ground underneath her sharp, jagged claws. "Why, Christie," she stated coolly, standing up straight. "Conan Edogawa, your 'father,' doesn't exist."

"**Damn.**" I muttered.

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Later:**

We were in the kitchen, and Haibara-san was pouring some hot tea as my tale came to an end. Not looking up from what she was doing, the scientist said, "The one with the tattoo on her eye was definitely Chianti, but are you sure the other was called Margarita?" When I said yes, she poked further. "And are you sure she was a blond American?"

"Actually, she could've had a little Asian descent, but yes, she was for the most part American, or Western European. There was something really strange though; it looked like she had streaks of _silver_ in her hair, despite her youth." (1)

The chemist flinched a little, spilling boiling hot water all over her hand. Cursing, she grabbed a paper towel, wiping the scorching hot liquid off. I snickered, despite the seriousness of the situation, and received a murderous glare from the older woman. She muttered something in English, thinking wouldn't hear, but I still managed to catch the words, "_**So they're back**_."

I decided not to ask who "they" were. It seemed better for my sanity. All I knew was that Chianti and Margarita were two black-clad killers who worked for a crime syndicate and fed me a poison that apparently shrunk people. Sometimes. I really didn't want to know what happened to the others. As another rule of thumb, I probably shouldn't tell too many people who I was, not if I wanted to stay _out_ of the insane asylum.

Haibara-san turned from the counter to face me, wielding a towel and scissors. With her foot, she pulled out a stool. The scientist began to hum, a bemused look in her eyes.

"Umm, what are those for?" I asked timidly, pointing at the sharp tool with one of my small, childish finger.

The inventor grinned. "Why, for your hair of course."

I squeaked, my hand shooting up to my jet-black tresses. "My hair?!" I choked. "You're going to cut it off?" With each word, my voice cracked, getting higher. I grew pale when she nodded. "Why?"

I sat with my arms crossed throughout the entire ordeal. _Snip, snip, snip_. With each cut, part of my waist-length hair fell to the ground, making a wet sloshing sound as drenched hair met the tiles. When Aunt Ai asked if I wanted side bangs, I grunted in reply. I couldn't believe her. It was my _hair_ she was chopping off. **My hair!**

A few minutes later, as she blow-dried my _shoulder length_ locks, the female chemist said, "That wasn't so bad, now was it?"Despite her kind words, there was still a sinister edge to her voice. "Since you were so well behaved, I decided to give you a treat." Haibara pulled out a Pixie-stick from behind her back and held it in front of me.

"Candy?" I spat. "I'm not a child, you know." Grabbing the Pixie-stick, I tore open the tube, dumping the sugary contents in my mouth in a crude fashion. My face scrunched up. I usually wasn't allowed to have candy, and the blue powder had a sour tang to it.

The next thing I knew, I was jumping up and down on the couch, commenting, "Hey, Aunt Ai, I never knew how light I was without all that hair!" Up. Down. Up. Down. "Nor did I know how fun this was. Kaa-san never really let me have sugar _or_ let me jump on the couch. Now I'm just bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing..."

Haibara Ai only stared at me, a blatantly awed expression on her face.

"..And bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and-"

And in strode the last person on Earth I wanted to see. No, not Chianti or Margarita. No, not my father, but my childhood friend, Hattori Itachi. I fell, my- er- bum landing on the couch with a thud, heat rising in my face. Itachi just saw me acting like a, like a, well, acting like a six-year-old. Hyped up on sugar. At nine-thirty at night. Man, I just figured out why my mother never let me have sugar.

* * *

Haibara-san shook her head, her look of bewilderment replaced by her usual calm and observant mask. "Hattori-kun, how exactly did you get in here when the front door was _locked_?" she questioned sternly.

"Oh, I, uh, asked Kudo-sensei for the key," He stuttered in response, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was wondering, Dr. Haibara-san, do you... have you seen Karasu lately?!" Wow, what happened to Mr. I-don't-care-if-you-ever-come-back? Captain Cool looked like he was about to snap. He was shakier than a leaf, and it was over me!

I was sitting right in front of him, that Aho, and- oh yeah, he didn't know it was me. He couldn't know it was me. The Hattoris didn't move from Osaka until he was in almost fourth grade. I was six right now, not nine. Of course the boy wouldn't recognize me.

When the baka noticed the couch, he hid under a mask of false cheerfulness and smiled warmly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And who would this little lady be?" he asked, trying to act cool. Great, I was being called little again, of all things.

"Oh, hi!" I chirped. "I'm Christie Edogawa!"

Itachi crouched down, leveling his face to mine. He paused, staring into my eyes. He looked at me a long time before holding out his hand and saying, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Christie-kun. My name's Itachi."

I grabbed it and shook, adding, "It's nice to meet you, too, Itachi-niisan." My grin was as fake as his, but to an outsider, both smiles looked genuine.

"Itachi-niisan," the teenager repeated. "I like that." Great, his head was inflating.

Haibara-san interrupted our "introduction" by saying, "Yes, well, Ita- er, I mean, Hattori-kun, I hate to intrude, but I have a favor to ask. You see, one of my close associates is Christie-kun's father, and he asked me to care for her while he's on a case in the United States. With Agasa's health going downhill and my ongoing experiments popping up while I'm in and out of the house so often, I simply don't have the room nor time to support a child. If it isn't too much to ask, I was wondering if you and your parents would be willing to watch her for a few weeks." She smiled sweetly, as if she were asking him to pick up her dry-cleaning.

"**What?!**" I shouted, careful to speak in English. "**Are you insane?! I can't go live with him. I'm a teenage girl, and he's a teenage guy. That's just wrong! You're nuts! He's going to find out who I am. He's a detective, after all.**_**"**_

"**Yes, I know he's a detective,**" Haibara-san sighed. She looked up from her tea. "**But his dad's with the Investigation Unit. Besides, they didn't **_**know**_** you when you were six. Staying there is your best bet on researching the Black- the people that shrunk you. I don't care if it doesn't **_**feel right**_**. It's the easiest way to lay off suspicion. Or can you not swallow your morals and pride for a few weeks without breaking?**"

Okay, lady, what was with the low blows? I had a feeling that Haibara-san knew much more than she was letting on. That woman was going to pay. How dare she put me in such an AWKWARD situation? The blond turned to face Itachi. Apparently, this argument was over.

The meitantei wore a confused look. Kind of takes a blow to the pride when a six-year-old girl is bilingual, and you can't speak a word of English. ""Um... sure we can take care of her. It's no problem at all. Mom won't have any objections, I can tell you that. She'll be ecstatic, actually. Pops might have something to say, but that won't go far." The dark-skinned teen smiled cheekily, trying to forget the argument the two of us had in a language he couldn't understand.

"YAY!" I exclaimed cheerfully, though when Itachi wasn't looking, I was shooting daggers at Haibara-san. Yes, I would have my revenge on the mad scientist. "Hold on, Itachi-niisan, let me just pack up real quick." With that, I sprinted up the stairs, murderous intent in my eyes. _That woman's going to pay,_ I thought. _I don't even have clothes to pack!_

At the thought, I deflated. Even if Haibara had clothes from her childhood, they'd probably be too formal for a normal little girl. Great, so I was stuck up stairs until some 'little girl' outfits magically appeared in front of me.

"You know," a calm voice stated from behind me. "I have some attire that would suffice for your average first grade child."The way Haibara-san _said_ it made me feel queasy. Nervously, I turned around to face the forensic pathologist and saw what she was holding. there was only one word to describe the wardrobe: Pink. Sure, there was a little color variation, but for the most part, it was mostly shades of pink and... how did the doctor even own this stuff? I had seen pictures from her elementary school days, and not a single one of her had _any_ pink in it. Where the hack did _this_ come from? Ai-chan chuckled. "I figured you'd be confused. Your mother and father asked me to hold on to these. It's what you used to wear when you were little. I mean, when you actually were six."

Oh, Kami-sama, I actually _wore_ that?! I stared at the articles of clothing in front of me. Did I mention that I HATE the color pink? Well, I HATE THE COLOR PINK! Thank the heavens I saw jeans and T-shirts within the mess, or I would've gone down stairs and forced Itachi to take me clothes shopping then and there.

After packing up, (stupid Hello Kitty suitcase and backpack) I headed down stairs, dragging my luggage behind me with much difficulty. Too much difficulty for anyone's liking. Deciding to be a gentleman, Itachi picked up my bags and offered to carry them. Oi, this was getting just too plain humiliating. Well, now I had to be on full "little girl" mode. As we left the house, I turned around and waved, calling, "Bye-bye, Aunt Ai! I'll see you later. I love you!" Silently, I added, _And you better find that cure_.

* * *

While we walked down the street, hand in hand (blush), the silence around us began to grow awkward. I cleared my throat. "This is soooo cool!" I exclaimed, trying to act like the hyperactive kid Itachi was put in charge of. "It's going to be just like having a big brother!" A smile was added of authenticity.

"So, Christie-kun, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Hattori-kun asked. He looked down at me, waiting for an answer.

"Um, no. I'm an only child." Unless you counted my kid brother, Conan, of course, but he was only six. Yes, I do get the irony. "Do you have any siblings, Itachi-niisan?"

"Other than you, nope." Other than me? Lovely, he already thought of me as a little sister. I bet the only reason he agreed to taking care of me was because the Hattoris said no to him getting a dog.

"Oh, well, do you have a girlfriend?" I pressed. Baka! Of course he didn't! I was such a moron. Now he's going to know something's up. "I was just wondering. You know, I want to get to know my new big brother." Oh, Kami, my cheeks were red, weren't they?

The teen cocked an eyebrow. "No, not yet," he said, shrugging it off.

"_EEHH__?!_" I spat. What did he mean _not yet_?

He laughed as I tripped over myself. "Yeah, well, there is this girl I wanted to ask, but she always disappears or changes the subject whenever I start to bring it up. Either that, or I say the wrong thing."

My mind flashed back to earlier that day, when he shouted, 'She's not my girlfriend, you ahos!' _Yeah, _I commented silently. _You always say the wrong thing_. I looked up to face my guardian. "Is it that girl you were looking for earlier; Karasu-chan? Is she the one you like?"

At first, Itachi was silent. "Great," he muttered. "I got stuck taking care of a psychic. How'd you know?" The boy began to laugh when all I could offer him was a shrug.

After a few minutes of idle chatter, we approached the apartment in which the Hattori family resided. Once we reached the top of the stairs, Itachi flamboyantly swung open the door, holding it open for me. "Welcome to my humble abode," he announced. "Make yourself at home. The only pests here are age nine and younger."

I stepped inside the familiar apartment, dragging my bags behind me, a genuinely happy grin plastered across my face. "Thanks, Itachi-niisan!" I chirped. Despite all that happened to me in the last 12 hours, only one that crossed my mind. _Itachi actually liked me._

* * *

AN: (1) yes, Gin and Vermouth got together. Thus, we get Margarita. Poor Chianti has to work for the daughter of the woman she hates. He he! XD

Sorry it took so long. Next chapter: When My Little Sanity Went Ka-bloo-ee!

Remember: Only one truth prevails! Reviews equal updates!


	4. When My Little Sanity Went Kablooee

AN: This chapter is supposed to be awkward for Karasu. Three words to sum it up: Damn teenaged hormones. **Bold means English**. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I asked KID to steal the ownership of Detective Conan for me. He said no. Something about 'not helping evil ppl who like to torture him with fish.' Now, where'd he get that from? :D Basically, DC not mine... yet.

* * *

_We all sat at round tables covered with fine cloth. The center piece was a candle, shining brightly. Everyone in the large dining room was dressed for the occasion; men in black tuxes everywhere, flanked by their wives and children. I was adorn in a strapless emerald green ball gown, its tight skirt hanging past my ankles. My hair, no longer braided, flowed loosely to my waist. To my right sat my mother and father, Conan-kun sitting in Kaa-san's lap. To my left was Itachi, his parents sitting on the other side of him. He sat, firm in his tuxedo, a rose in his breast pocket and his chocolate eyes shining with pride._

_The lights dimmed and all eyes turned to the stage at the front of the room. Across the room, Chief Takagi stood and approached the microphone, her slim form taking long, confident strides. At our own table, Hattori Heiji also stood, his robust frame headed for the same destination. The room exploded in a roar of applause. _

_I felt something brush my knee and turned to face my childhood friend. He smiled, then leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Hey, Karasu, let's get out of here."_

_"But Itachi," I hissed back. "You're father's being promoted to Inspector. Shouldn't we stay?"_

_"Nah," he replied. "We celebrated a few nights ago. What matters is that we came." He grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's go."_

_The dark skinned boy pulled me outside, deciding it was better to run than to walk. We sprinted until we were both too tired to run. I looked around. We were in a park, on one of the bridges connecting the two shores of a large stream. The full moon shone overhead, casting an eerie atmosphere over the place. It felt like we were the only ones there. Panting, I asked, "Itachi, why did we leave?"_

_He chuckled, leaning against the bridge's railing. "To be honest, I got jealous." He paused. "You looking like that so other Department boys could ogle at your presence. Call me selfish, but I didn't want to share."_

_What did he mean? "Share what?" I asked, more than a little confused._

_He sighed. Standing up straight, he walked over to me with soft, warm eyes and placed a hand on my shoulder. Leaning in close, he murmured, "You, of course." Then, he pressed his lips against mine, kissing my with a soft, loving passion. I felt my eyes shut as I kissed him back._

_They flew back open when I heard the sound of a gun cocking, followed by a cold, haunting voice saying, "Well, isn't this sweet?" I knew that voice. I turned around to face a woman dressed in black from head to toe. She was of Western European descent, platinum blond hair flowing out from her ink colored fedora. Her gun was drawn, aiming at me. _

_"Margarita," I growled, glaring at the murderess. What was she doing here? I thought I had stopped her._

_"Humph," snorted the woman. "Wrong answer, my dear little Raven, but I see you've met my daughter."_

_"Your daughter? Then who the hell are you?" I barked. There was no way I'd let her get away, no matter who she was. And why did she call me her Raven?_

_"I would tell you, Raven, but- __**A secret makes a woman a woman.**__" She pulled the trigger, hitting me in the leg. I crashed to the ground, my vision getting blurry. Somehow, I was able to shout, "Run!" But it was too late. The last thing I saw before blacking out was a bullet piercing my Itachi in the heart._

* * *

"Gaah!" I shouted, waking up from my nightmare. Struggling with the blanket, I evidently crashed to the ground. Geez, what a horrible way to end a good night's rest. As I kicked my way out of the giant blanket, I shook my head. Now wasn't a good time to have dreams like that. I rubbed my eyes and looked into the mirror hanging on my door and yelped. Oh, wait, I was a six-year-old. God, a lot happened yesterday.

I walked down the hallway, yawning, clad in my yellow two-piece PJs. It was still dawn, so I doubted anyone was up in the apartment. As I made my way down the hall towards the restroom, I remembered what happened the night before.

The sugar from the Pixie-Stix had worn off when I entered the living room, so I had crashed. I had yawned, too tired to keep my eyes open. Itachi then sent me up to bed, not bothering with the grand tour of the place. He told me not to worry, that he'd explain everything to his folks. _Hopefully he didn't forget,_ I thought, pushing open the bathroom door.

My eyes bulged, and I managed to let out a startled "eep!" before dashing back into the guest bedroom. I slammed the door, panting, feeling the heat raise in my face. Oh, Kami, he brushes his teeth in his _boxers_?! He was just standing there, in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth without a care in the world, wearing nothing but plain, light blue- damn it, I was even describing them! The only other guy I'd even seen in his boxers was Tou-san, and no way in _hell_ did that count.

There was a knock on the door, and I turned around in time for Itachi to open it. "You alright, kid?" He asked, toothbrush sticking out his mouth, and, yes, he was still dressed in the same attire I left him in.

"Yes, Itachi-niisan," I lied. "I was just going to, uh, get dressed." _Please_ take a hint. The tan Osakan shrugged, shutting the door and heading back to the washroom. I sighed. The gods were mocking me, weren't they? Lord knows how this was affecting my hormones.

* * *

Within a few minutes, I had changed out of my yellow PJs into a pair of white kaprees and a pink T-shirt. (Did I seriously own _that_ much pink?) I groggily made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. My stomach grumbled. Still feeling a little hazy, I reached for the cereal. Just as I was about to touch the cardboard box, another hand picked it up. A really, really big, dark hand. I looked up with wide eyes at the hand's owner, who gave me a very, very confused look. "Oh, uh, hello, Mr. Hattori-san."

Really, I should have expected his reply. I had known this guy for seven years, so I should've guessed how he would've answered that. He was this huge, dark-skinned, ripped western detective with a pencil mustache and barbwire tattoo across his shoulder. Everything other than his profession screamed "meat head". However, I was still taken back when he asked blatantly, "Who the hell are you?"

I swear, I was going to kill that boy! It wasn't even the real me, and yet Itachi still loved to get me in trouble. Besides, unlike the culprits I encounter on a weekly basis, I knew how to hide the body. Plans of revenge began to speculate in my mind as I said, "Oh, Itachi-niisan didn't tell you?"

Heiji Hattori's bemused expression changed to one of outright fury. "ITACHI!" he bellowed. "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" Yep, that was the Heiji-san I knew.

We heard a loud thud, followed by the sound of feet clamping down the stairs. "Yes sir," the teen stated, only a little frazzled. He had gotten dressed by now, adorn in a rustic plaid button-up over a solid white tee and jeans. "What is- oh crud."

Heiji-san turned to face his son, pointing at me. "Explain. Now."

"Okay. Christie is the daughter of one of Dr. Haibara's good friends, Conan Edogawa, and she asked me if I was willing to take care of her for a while. I said yes because I was sure you wouldn't mind, but forgot to explain last night. Sorry, Pops, I mean, Sir. It won't happen again," He explained, not even taking a breath. Okay, maybe I wasn't the only one scared of Itachi's father.

The kansai detective smirked, and, for a moment, I thought he saw through my disguise. "So, you're Kudo- uh, I mean, Conan-kun's kid. It's nice to meet you, 'Christie-kun'." He leaned down and shook my hand, squeezing the life out of it. Did the police investigator really know something, or was I just imagining things?

As I was trying to get the feeling back in my hand, Kazuah walked onto the kitchen. "Honey," she asked, already in her work out clothes (she co-managed the local dojo with my mom). "Why are you yelling at 7 in the morning?" She then spotted me. It looked like I'd be the center of attention this morning. "Oh, and who are you?" she asked me kindly. Not in that little kid voice, but just out of genuine curiosity.

"Mom, this is Christie-kun. She's going to be staying with us for a while." Itachi seemed much more relaxed around his Kaa-san, even a little giddy. Wait a sec, he only got giddy when something bad was about to happen.

"Hello Christie-kun. I'm Kazuah, but just call me Mrs. Hattori. What happened to your hand?" She noticed how I was wincing and shaking said hand back and forth.

"Oh, uh, Mrs. Hattori, your husband has a strong grip."

She straightened up, whipping her head towards the man. "Heiji! I can't believe you. Aho! You can't just break a little girl's hand like that. Do you have no feelings?! Now, apologize, Aho."

"You're the Aho. I just shook her hand. It's not broken. Besides, Ku-Christie-kun's fine. So quit whining, Aho!" He spat back. And the heated argument began. Those two were so busy calling each other "Aho", that they didn't even notice their own son herding them out the door. It was only when Itachi locked it did they notice what happened. The couple started banging on the door, trying to get inside, but to no avail. Then, when that didn't work, Kazuah and Heiji started blaming each other for leaving the keys inside. So _that_ was why Itachi was smirking.

* * *

"So, kiddo, what do you want to do?" Itachi asked, grinning maniacally like... a certain thief I'd rather not name. "We've got the entire day ahead of us," he prodded. It was obvious that we weren't getting out of the house soon, not until the loving couple left for their respected jobs.

"Uh, I think I'm just going to watch some TV," I said, hopping in front of the tube and grabbing the remote. To my dismay, Kazuah had placed a parental block on Discovery: Investigation. So I did the next best thing; little kid shows. The program was called something Magical Girls Club. Itachi sat down next to me, hoping to get some "bonding time" with his new little sister.

When the show finally reached a commercial break, I stole a glance at my childhood best friend. His eye was twitching. Inwardly, I agreed with him. Kiddy shows were pretty creepy. "Hey, Itachi-niisan," I said, trying to save the boy from his doom. "What's that thing on the wall?" His head swung, looking in the direction I was pointing. I silently adjusted myself into a crouching position. 1...2...3! I pounced, my six-year-old body landing on his unsuspecting form.

The young detective let out an "oof" as he crashed to the ground. He looked at me, bewildered. "What was that for?!" he cried.

I stepped back, placing my child-like hands on my not-hips. "I glomped you," I merely stated. "Got a problem with that?"

The teenager smirked, looking even _more_ like KID. "Yeah, kind of," he replied, knocking me to the ground in a hug. "And for that, kiddo, you'll have to face the consequences." With that said, Itachi started to tickle his little sister under the chin.

To say we got in a tickle fight would be an understatement. We had an all out tickle/glomp WAR. I climbed onto a couch and propelled off it, trying to catch Itachi by surprise. He turned around at the last moment and caught me in thin air, pinning me to the ground and tickling me under the armpits. I let out a high-pitch squeal, wriggling to escape his grasp. This went on for another twenty minutes or so before we both lost our breath. The two of us laid on the floor, heaving and laughing our butts off.

Man, I hadn't had that much fun since... fifth grade. When we entered middle school, we considered ourselves too old for tickle fights and glomping. Also, it was in sixth grade that I became a body magnet. Geez, I never realized how depressing life got once you hit puberty.

"So, what next?" Itachi asked, still panting.

"Next?" I sat up, looking around. "I guess we clean up the mess we made." Did I mention we _destroyed_ the living room? The sixteen-year-old boy stood up and nodded. After another who knows how long, the living room looked halfway decent.

Exhausted, we plopped on the couch, a juice in my hand. Itachi sighed. "You know, I wonder where Karasu is right now. Usually when she gets caught up in a case, she at least calls one of us and has them spread the news to the others. I hope she didn't get hurt." He put his hands behind his head, looking up at the clock thinking, not realizing that I was right there. After a moment, he jumped up, startling the crap out of me.

"What is it, Itachi-niisan?" I asked. I knew that look in his eye. It was the same look he got when he discovered who the murderer was; shocking realization.

The teen palmed his forehead, heading for the door and grabbing his wallet. "I can't believe I completely forgot!" he exclaimed, leaving me even more confused than before. "Aw man, I promised the guys I'd meet them at Poirot's for lunch and it's already 11 and... you wanna come?"

I blinked. He seriously wanted a six-year-old girl to hang out with a bunch of high-school boys. _This_ could get interesting. Then again, I never actually said my crush was the brighest crayon in the Crayola box. "Uh, are you sure?" I stammered. It's not like I didn't _want_ to hang out with Itachi. It's just, well... I _knew_ the "guys". Then, for the heck of it, I added, "Or are you just going to use me to pick up girls?"

He chuckled nervously. "The others might, but not me, kiddo." The boy began to fidget with his baseball cap when I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, come on, Christie-kun, you know that I only love Karasu." Oh Kami, I think I just had a heart attack.

* * *

About ten minutes later, we all sat in an uncomfortable cafe booth, a deafining silence overwhelming the table. I faced the two boys I had known longer than Itachi, panicking because I was no longer flanked by my superior athletic ability or the two girls said boys were afraid of. You know that saying; Birds of a feather flock together? Well, that basically translates to Western misfits hang out with Western misfits.

Directly across from me sat a fully American teenager with bleach blond hair and sea green eyes, wearing an ACDC shirt and gym shorts. He leaned back against the seat with a bored expression written across his face. Michael Saintemillion obviously didn't want to be here. This was his third time to Japan and his third time to live with his Aunt Jodie because of his folks constant fighting. "Who's the brat?" he asked.

To his right was the "other guy". He had tea-brown hair that didn't quite reach his earlobes, setting off a sophisticated look. The boy smiled kindly at me, the grin reaching up to his brown and violet-streaked eyes. He sat up straight, adorn in a collared shirt and pressed pants. It was obvious that he was more used to formal gatherings than just hanging out. "Ello," the quarter-Brit said in a slight accent. "My name is Hakuba William. What's yours?"

"Uh.... hi," I said weakly. Oh man, this was akward. Up until the Hattoris moved here, the two in front of me were the same two brats that stuck gum in my hair and yanked it out. The fact that they didn't recognize me was a good sign, though. "I'm Christie Edogawa. I'm staying with the Hattoris until Daddy finishes up a case back home." The two gave me blank expressions. One was curious, and the other flat out didn't care.

Itachi approached the table with green tea in one hand and hot chocolate in the other. (I'll give you a guess which of us got chocolate.) As I sipped in the bitter sweet herbal drink, I looked left and right, the long silence making me more than uncomfortable. Finally, the Osakan stated, "Christie-kun's father is a detective in the United States. Mr. Edogawa asked my family to watch over her while he works on a rather difficult case. Since Mom and Pops have work, I got stuck baby-sitting." Gee, I felt loved.

"But, hey," Michael added. "You could pick up a lot of girls with that cutie." Ick, did he just call me _cutie_? "Maybe I should try that. As much as the ladies love me now, they'd fall head-over-heels for a guy with a little sister. So, how about it, Christie-kun?"

I snorted, taking another sip of my tea. "No offense, but I'd rather not spend my time with an eroboya." (1)

"What did you just call me, gaki?!"(2) the blond shouted back. The entire table erupted in laughter.

The three high school boys spent the next half hour talking sports, music, girls, and law inforcement. (Don't even ask. William's dad, Saguru, is the head of the Kaito KID task force and Jodie-sensei used to be FBI.)Surprisingly, they listen to an extinsive amount of foreign music. They discussed everywhere from classical, to pop, to heavy metal. I made an effort to drain out their conversation on girls. Personally, I didn't need to have nightmares for the next week. When the topic died down, William brought up a question I wish he hadn't. "So, Hattori-san, any news from your girlfriend?"

Itachi shot straight up. "Aho, Karasu isn't my girlfriend!" he spat. If it weren't for his dark skin, he would be a nice shade of crimson.

William smirked. "Who said I was talking about Kudo-chan? I don't recall mentioning her name." Satisfied, the Brit crossed his arms. I longed to punch the brunette, but I refrained to giving him the death glare.

"Then who did... oh nevermind!" Itachi looked down. "No, I haven't heard anything from her. It's starting to worry me. I asked Pops on his opinion, but he'd always change the subject." Itachi spoke with his dad about me, as in the real me? When did this happen? He sighed, looking up at his two friends in the eye. "What if something bad happened to her? I don't know what I'd do if Karasu ever got hurt."

The worse part of it all was that his pain and greif were for me, even though I was _right there_. Without realizing it, I blurted out, "You guys have mentioned this Karasu girl a lot. Itachi-niisan, what does she look like?" The boy immediately dug in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, revealing a picture and placing it in my child-like hands.

I recognized the photograph. My childhood friend poised in traditional kendo attire, balancing a wooden blade on his shoulder with a cheeky grin plastered across his face. Next to him stood a sixteen-year-old girl smiling sweetly, wearing denom hiking shorts and an emerald green blouse. She had electric blue eyes and long raven-black hair braided to her waste. In her hands was an enormous gold statue with the word "ichi" engraved in kanji on it. The girl was me.

A sad smile formed on my lips. The photo was from when Itachi won first place in the National Kendo Tournament. As a reward, I was going to take him to see a movie that had just come out. Somebody died after we bought the tickets. By the time the investigation was over, the movie had ended. I promised the Osakan that I'd make it up by the end of the summer, but every time we got the chance, a body would appear, a mystery soon to follow. He said it was fine, but I insisted. We were supposed to go to Tropical Land after lunch today, but then the incident happened.

"So, that's Karasu," Itachi said, yanking me out of my thoughts. "Pretty, ain't she?"

I looked up at him. "Yeah," I replied. "She is." But inside of me, my heart screamed, _I'm so sorry, Itachi. I broke my promise_. I jolted upward. "Oi!" I exclaimed. "I know her!" All three boys stared at me. "She was at Aunt Ai-san's house when Daddy dropped me off. When he explained the case thingy, that girl jumped at the chance to get involved. I don't know what it's about, but I know it's big. So she's back home working with Tou-san. I didn't know her name was Karasu. It's really pretty."

Hattori-san sighed, then laughed, saying, "Good."

Michael cocked an eyebrow. "Good? You're girlfriend just ran of with some guy to a different continent, and you say it's good?"

"Yeah," Itachi answered. "At least I know she isn't hurt, and that she's safe. Everything's fine" He took one last sip of his hot chocolate.

I stared down at my tea. _Sorry, dear friend, but even I know that's a lie._

Sorry it took so long to update!!!!! I left for International Thespian Festival and was gone for a week. Then, when I got back, I got busy with basketball for another week.

Note: Yes, that was Vermouth in the dream. Yes, I'm a girl and I'm into fluff. FYI, the boxer thing is real. My older brother brushes in his boxers everyday. He also takes a shower and doesn't even bother taking his clothes out of the bathroom. (Gross!)

(1) that translates to: perverted boy

(2) translates to: brat

I know, the ending isn't that good. This chapter reminds me of Romeo and Juliet; a comedy gone tragidy.

Next chapter: The problem with little brothers. (More insights on the second Conan.)

On a side note, I'm planning on writing a parallel to this called Moonlight Maiden. About 2nd Gen Kuroba. Thoughts?

Remember: Only one truth prevails!

* * *


	5. The Problem With Little Brothers

Ha ha! Chapter 5 at last! Finally, Karasu has to face her greatest enemy yet: school.

Disclaimer: Nope, DC isn't mine. I'm starting to accept that, like Akako, all men are not my slaves, and I cannot even try to convince Gosho to give me the dang ownership!

* * *

"No," I pleaded. "No no no no no no no. You're joking. Haibara-san, you're not serious, are you?" We were in Haibara's basement/lab, and I was bordering hysterics by now.

The chemist nodded, smirking as she turned to face me. "Yes, Kudo-kun, I'm serious." The woman then put her back to me, continuing to look at _my_ blood sample through a microscope.

"What?! Oh no. Please no. God no," I spat, getting on my knees. "HAVE MERCY!"

The scientist chuckled lightly. Either my blood cells were putting on a comedy routine, or she found my cries for help _hilarious_. "My, my, Karasu, I never would have thought that_ you'd_ be so troubled by a little education."

I shot daggers at the forensic pathologist, feeling only slightly ridiculous from the fact that she wasn't looking at me, and I was at least a foot shorter than her. "Haibara-san, I'm supposed to be entering my Junior year in high school," I stated patiently. "I CANNOT GO TO FIRST GRADE!!!"

Ai-chan pushed her rolling chair back and glared at me. "I know that," she spat. "But right now you're six-year-old Christie Edogawa. You have to either go to primary school or risk blowing your cover. Which will it be?" The woman frowned, daring me to defy her.

I huffed, crossing my arms. "When does this hellish nightmare begin?"

* * *

**The Next Day:**

"I'M NOT GOING!" I shouted, clawing at the doorway in midair with my little-kid hands. "You can't make me!" In a way, I _was_ a six-year-old, and Lord knew I was going to act like one.

Itachi currently had his arms wrapped around my stomach, making me _very_ uncomfortable, and was trying to yank my small, backpack carrying figure into the hallway and out of the apartment. "Come on, Christie-kun," he said with a heave. "Everybody's got to go to school." He futilely tried pulling again, but my hands and feet remained planted in the wood.

Actually, I was surprised that I stayed up that long. "But, Itachi-niisan, I don't wanna go!" I whined pitifully. "They'll just make fun of me because my name's weird." I looked at Heiji-san with pleading puppy-dog eyes, but he only laughed at the entire situation. Thanks, officer. Thanks for the assistance. I really appreciate it.

In a last ditch effort to escape, I shouted in the language of the Brits, "**This is cruel and unusual punishment!!!!!!!!!**" This left the teeneaged meitantei utterly confused, and in that moment of bafflement, I broke free from the Osakan's grasp and fled up the stairs. I clung to the stairwell for my dear little kid life.

Itachi sighed. "Christie-kun, come down here." I shook my head. He turned towards his father. "A little help, please," he said, causing Heiji to laugh even more.

"Sorry, kiddo," the officer said. "_You're_ the one who said he'd take care of her. Not me. The brat's _you're_ responsiblility." He could no longer keep a straight face as Itachi and I glared at him.

His son groaned, making his way up stairs towards me. Appearently, seven o'clock was too early in the morning to be dealing with this day-to-day chaos. Kazuha-san was smart to leave for work early. But that didn't mean I was going to give up so easily. Who gives a crap about what Haibara said? There's no way I'm going to spend the last of of young life with a bunch of snot-nosed six-year-olds! Before I knew what was happening, Itachi pounced, tickling me under the arms, causing me to let go. With that opening, the boy flung me over the shoulder and started heading for the door.

Great, I had been demoted to a sack of potatoes. "Put me down, you big oaf!" I yelled as we walked down the street to Teitan Elementary, my fists banging against his back. "This is barbaric. I'm a human being, you know!"

Although I couldn't see him, I could tell he was smirking. "No," he replied blatantly. "You're a brat."

"You can put me down now," I stated. We were nearing the entrance of the school.

"No I can't," he answered.

"Why not?"

"Because you'll run."

"Touche."

We entered the building, and he quickly signed me in. But he didn't put me down there. Nooooooo, he had to carry me all the way into the classroom and up to the teacher. Infront of everyone. And he still didn't put me down. Cheerfully shaking the sensei's hands, the boy introduced us. "Hello, sensei," he said. "I'm Hattori Itachi, this kid's gaurdian. Her name is Christie. If she acts like a snot, don't be afraid to bop her on the head." He finally put me on the table by then, but the entire class of _first-graders_ had already started laughing.

As the aho started to leave the classroom, I yelled, shaking my fist, "Wait 'til I tell Karasu-neechan about how you manhandled me!"

He turned back to face me. "So?"

My grin became feral. "And that magazine I found under your bed." I think the teacher was amused on how Itachi's face paled paled at those words, though the look she wore didn't show anything above anger and disgust.

Panicking, Itachi spat, "Sorry, sensei. I'd love to stay around, but I've got to get to my own school. Hehehe." He ran. Heck, even I didn't know he could run that fast.

I turned my head to face the class. With a fake smile, I said, "Hi! I'm uh..." They were all staring at me! Kami, did I mention how much that freaks me out?! "My name's...." The bratty little kids just looked at me with those glazed over expressions. "It's Edogawa Christie! I'm kind of new in Japan, so please treat me nicely." Phew, I got it out. I was probably the only detective on Earth that was afraid of public speaking.

After some silence, one of the boys raised his hand. "Sensei, why is Edogawa-chan wearing such dorky clothing?" Some of his classmates snickered at the seemingly innocent question.

"OI!" I yelled. "IT'S NOT DORKY! IT'S A SCHOOL... uniform." Then it donned on me. Why was everyone else wearing casual outfits? They all had on tanktops and T-shirts, shorts and skirts. Was I the only one in a school uniform? I never thought that they'd just change the dress code since I was there. Now I stuck out like a sore thumb. Dandy, just dandy. "Um... my old school had uniforms, so I thought it'd be the same here." I then hopped off the teacher's desk and made my way towards an empty seat.

* * *

After an hour of basic multiplication facts, I felt like my brain had turned to mush. Sensei started handing out worksheets, and I groaned. I couldn't take how _boring_ it all was. How the heck did Haibara survive this? The sensie came up to me and smiled. She had dark brown hair that fell down to her shoulder blades and friendly trust filled eyes. "You said your name was Edogawa, correct?" I nodded. "Is your father named Conan-kun, by any chance?"

My eyebrows shot up. "How do you know Tou-san's name?" I asked, for once not having to fake child-like bewilderment.

She chuckled. "Oh, he and I were classmates in primary school. You remind me a lot of him; bored expression written across your face, wearing a uniform when there's no need. Next time you call him, mention Ayumi-chan sayed hi." With that, she handed me my worksheet and continued making her way to each student.

From behind me, I heard a high-pitched voice snicker and mutter, "Teacher's pet."

I whipped my head around. "I am not," I hissed. "Sensei just happened to know my dad. There a problem with that, aho?"

The girl blinked her gray eyes at me in shock. She had a tightly wound blond braid that still let a few locks of hair in the front hang down her forehead. The first grader wore camo pants and a black T-shirt. _Lucky,_ I thought irratably.

She then smirked. "Strange, I thought you were a goody-two-shoes. Guess I was wrong. The name's Hokori Nana." Nana stuck out her hand, expecting me to grab it.

I shook it, smirking back. "You're half British, aren't you?" I asked, getting a baffled look from the girl. "I could tell by your greeting. First of all, it's accented. Also, only someone raised in a western enviroment would offer a handshake. It's okay, my obasan is half British."

A voice beside me hissed, "Get back to work, you guys. We aren't supposed to be talking." It's owner was another girl. She had long black hair and green eyes, wearing a purple dress and headband. She looked nice, but it was obvious that the child would grow up to be an overachiever.

Nana groaned. "Oh, shut it, Sakura. It'd take a complete baka to not be able to finish this! I'm already three quarters of the way done." She turned to me. "How many problems have you finished, Christie-chan?"

Oh, wait, we were supposed to be doing a worksheet? I fingured my pencil in one hand and said, "One sec." Quickly, I jotted down answer after answer. The entire ordeal took me about 4.23 seconds. (Oi, Hakuba-san's starting to rub off on me.) But, then again, we were talking first grade math here. I smiled at my two classmates. "Done."

Nana and Sakura gaped. It was only then that I realized that first graders shouldn't be that good at math. Crap. Behind me, Yoshida-sensei stated, "Impressive, Christie-kun. Do you mind if I check your answers?" Reluctantly, I handed her the sheet. Her eyes scanned over it.

_Here it comes, _I thought. _Only a few more seconds until my cover is blown._

Yoshida-sensei chuckled, handing the paper back to me. "You certainly are Conan-kun's daughter. It's all correct." With that, she turned to leave.

"Uh, sensei?" I asked, before she could go. "Who are you getting married to?" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Well," I went on. "You're wearing an engagement ring but no wedding band, so I figured you were getting married soon." I gave her a cheeky smile.

"Actually, I am getting married. His name's Kojima Genta.," she replied sweetly. "Genta-kun and I actually became close friends with your father in this class." Then, in a teacher-like fashion she continued helping other students with their math.

I sighed. Sometime this week, I was really going to have to ask Haibara-san who the heck this Edogawa Conan was.

* * *

**Lunch and Recess:**

Okay, just to get this off my chest, my grandmother used to be a Hollywood actress. I know how to act my part. So, while everyone else was eating ramen noodles and sushi, I held in my hands a grilled cheese sandwich. In front of me was a bowl of tomato soup from a thermos. I was, after all, supposed to be from America. Happily, I dipped my sandwich into the bowl and took a bite.

Nana looked at me, her eel chopsticked in one hand. "What the heck is that?" she asked.

"Grilled cheese."

"You should know what that is, Hokori-chan," Sakura added, looking up from her noodles. "Isn't your tousan British?"

The blond shot her a look. "So?" she spat. "Doesn't mean I'd bring weird western food to school!"

"I'm sorry," I added quickly, not wanting the argument to escalate. "It's just a lot of my classmates back home ate this for lunch."

Part of me really did enjoy the innocence of the kids around me. They were all eager to befriend one and other, not letting race or gender get in the way of things. It was nice. But another part of me was dying. I should've been in class with Itachi and the rest of the group. Aya and I should've been talking boys and who was going to win at the next KID heist. (Being a magician, Aya always voted KID, while I always claimed that Tousan would catch him.) Instead, I was stuck here.

We ate in silence for the next few minutes as, one by one, kids began to play on the playground. Suddenly, Sakura perked up. "I've been thinking," she said. (I could've sworn Nana had muttered '_This ought to be good_') "You remamber how Yoshida-sensei told us about that club she was in; the Detective Boys? Well, maybe we should start a club like that, but it'd be called the Detective _Girls_. So, what do you think?"

Nana nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea. I'd join."

"Sure," I added. "I don't see anything wrong with-"

I was cut off by the sound of something- no, _someone_- hitting the ground, followed by a prepubic voice shouting, "Take it like a man, baka!"

The half-brit girl sighed, saying, "Here come the fourthgraders."

Sakura looked past me, adding, "They're not picking on him _again_, are they?"

I turned in my seat, taking in the scene by the soccer feild. Where were the teachers when you needed them?! Two extremely large fourth grade boys were shoving around this little kid. Weren't they supposed to be in class? Anyways, they were just messing wit the boy. He couldn't have been older than six. Was he a classmate of ours, er, I mean Sakura and Nana-chan?

The taller of the two bullies laughed. "Where's your daddy now, gaki? Why isn't he here to save you? Is he too busy with work?" He shoved his victim into the other kid, who seemed to be made of muscle.

The muscle-head replied. "What about his oneechan? Hey, squirt, where is she now? Oh, wait, she just up and disappeared. Probably got herself killed, that stupid girl."

The kid spoke up at that. "She didn't get killed and she isn't stupid, you big, fat, ugly jerks!" Well, good for him, sticking up for his sister.

"Who is he?" I asked, not turning away from the scene.

Sakura answered. "Not really sure. He's in our class, but I don't think he has any friends. The boy spends most of his time in the back of the room, reading mysteries."

The muscle-head gave him a hard push, ttripping him over the tall kid. When he crashed onto the concrete, I finally recognized him. I gasped, only one word crossing my mind. _Ototo_. (1)

Whenever Conan mentioned school, he always mentioned all of his friends. He'd talk none stop about Nana and Sakura, Toichi and Lee. From the way he sounded, it seemed he was the most popular kid in his class. He never mentioned bullies. Not a word was uttered about how he was never noticed in class, or how he didn't have a friend to his name. Any scrape we found was explained through an amazing soccer match, how he and his friends didn't mind getting rough with each other. He never told us how he was always the last to be picked. The Conan I knew and the Conan here were entirely different people. Instinctively, I ran towards the fight.

Muscle-head noticed me first. "Who are you?"

I smirked. "Edogawa Christie. If you were smart, you'd leave him alone," I said, indicating my little brother as he reached for his glasses.

The two bullies laughed. "Why would we do _that_?"

"Because," I answered, popping my knuckles. "He's my friend. _And I know 427 different ways to kill you both and hide the corpse_."

The fourth graders paled and ran. I rushed over and helped my brother up. "Are you alright?" I asked in a concerned voice.

Conan nodded feebily. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "It's no big deal."

_The problem with little brothers is that they lie._

* * *

Hehe, that took longer than expected. Sorry guys! With school starting soon, updating is going to be a pain.

(1) ototo= little brother.

The next volume of Detective Conan is finally out! I'm impatiently waiting for them to update on onemanga. It's very frustrating. Oh, and, also, little bro Conan looks exactly like Conan Edogawa, and Nana is very tom-boyish, while Sakura is very girly.

Please please please review! I promise I'll update more!

-Pet Fish


	6. A Little Thing Called Murder

Disclaimer: 私自身はありません名探偵コナン (I don't own Detective Conan)

AN: It was bound to happen sometime... Enjoy!

Chapter 6: A Little Thing Called Murder

* * *

**A Month Later:**

I stood, staring at the calendar on my bedroom wall, as if in a trance. Mentally, I counted the X's over and over again. There were twenty. On the month before it, there had been 8. Twenty-eight days. Twenty-eight days since my encounter with Margarita and Chianti. Twenty-eight days since I donned the name Christie Edogawa. Since I entered the Hattoris' home. Since the real me died deep inside. I sighed, releasing my clench fists. Sometimes fate had a crappy sense of humor.

In some ways, I had gotten used to my new life.... _Not_ my new life, my _current situation_. It was easier acting like a six-year-old without overdoing it. The Detective Girls had gotten a few cases, but none ever surpassed a lost cat. Mr. Hattori finally stopped pressing me with the occasional icy question. Maybe he finally began to believe the act. Then again... probably not.

* * *

"Eh, Christie-kun, you dressed yet?" Itachi asked as he peeked through the doorway. "Breakfast is ready. Better hurry up, kiddo!" Despite his, um, brotherly words, it was obvious that the Osakan was tightly knit. Ever since school had really kicked in, the teen detective hadn't had much time to spend with his "little sister". There were homework, cases, and his general social life to worry about, after all. On this particular Saturday morning, it was kendo practice.

After brushing my entirely too short hair, I scrambled down the stairs for some flapjacks and stopped as I watched the three before me. The only way to describe the kitchen was chaos. Aunt Kazuha was currently chatting on the phone in rapid Japanese as she scrambled eggs with one hand and made pancakes with the other. Uncle Heiji made his way all around the apartment floor, picking up random things as he frantically search for his badge. Itachi sat at the table, kendo gear spread all across it, trying, and failing, to pack it neatly.

Maybe now was a good time to sneak back into my room and pretend that I fell back to sleep. Quietly, I turned around en route of the stairs. I was about to make my escape from the chaos that was the kitchen and dining room when the unthinkable happened: the doorbell rang. I was caught for sure. Since I became a "resident" of the apartment, it was expected of me to do chores. (I never did chores. Couldn't Mrs. Hattori hire a maid?) But, my luck had run out. Because of the doorbell, she would've noticed me, punished me for trying to go AWOL on my "responsibilities", and made me do them anyways.

My head snapped around. Nobody looked up from what they were doing. Did they not here it? The chime echoed through the house once again. Still, no one reacted. With a sigh, I trudged over to the door, opening it.

"**HI ITACHI-KUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" squealed a distinctively female voice. The girl in the doorway screamed so loudly that it should've only been used at a rock concert... or a magic show.

I took a step back, trying to regain my small, child-like composure. The teen stood there eagerly, smiling a stupid grin as her light blue eyes shown. When she realized that nobody had responded, a bewildered expression crossed her features. The girl brushed her long, black hair out of her eyes and looked left and right before finally looking down. Catching my gaze, that outright _annoying_ smile formed once again on her face.

"Oh, hi," she chirped, bending over in order to "level" herself with me. With her ever-present smirk, the girl snapped her fingers and a teddy-bear materialized into my hands. "Would'ya happen to know what apartment the Hattoris live in, missy?"

Part of me hoped my evil smile wasn't showing. "Who?" I asked innocently. After a pause, I added, "Oh, them! Yeah, they moved back to Osaka. Sorry. Bye." I was about to slam the door shut on the student, when a hand caught it. Sheepishly, I looked up to see a very irritated Itachi. Whoops.

Only, his short-tempered glare wasn't directed towards me. "What do want, Kuroba?" He looked the magician up and down, noting her running shoes, cargo shorts, and pro-Kaitou KID T-shirt. "I swear, Aya-chan, if you just want to borrow my iPod again to go on your freaking jog, I'm going to rip out your--"

"Oh heavens no!" Aya interrupted. She tended to speak like an old person, but, in all likelihood, was probably more childish than me at the moment. "It's not that AT ALL."

Why did part of me feel like it was something very, very similar?

"You see," Kuroba explained, taking a deep breath before belching it out. "Crystal-chan and I are going to the mall to go shopping and maybe grab a bite to eat, but I'm running low on cash and was wondering if I could borrow some money." The teen rocked back and forth on her heels, then, to add emphasis, added, "Hmm? So, what do you say?"

"Why can't you borrow money from Crystal-chan?"

Aya stopped moving and blinked. "Well... her mom told her to stop giving out money to her poor friends," the magician answered, thinking that explained everything.

Itachi shook his head and spoke slowly, as if he was talking to a nimrod. "But Aya-chan, your father's a world renown performer. You _aren't_ poor. You're rich."

To give the magician credit, she knew how to play her cards. "Not compared to the Makotos!" she whined. "Not _only_ is Crystal's father THE Prince of Kicks, but he also owns half of Suzuki Corp. Yes, I am poor. So can I PLEASE borrow some yen?" She bore these puppy dog eyes that just killed you when you looked at them. It stills fails me to understand exactly how she did that.

The Osakan instinctively glanced down at his watch. "Holy crap, I'm late!" Quickly, he yanked out a roll of bills and shoved them at his classmate. After a second thought, he shoved _me_ out the door too, ending the conversation with, "You're babysitting." Then, he slammed the door.

* * *

I still had the teddy-bear in my hands, for some reason. Aya and I just stood there, staring at each other in order to absorb any signs of emotion from the other girl. _Please don't recognize me!_ I thought quickly. Of all people, it had to be Kuroba Aya standing there. Aya, who, on the first day of preschool, popped in front of me in a cloud of pink confetti just to say hello. The girl from elementary school who convinced everyone we met that we were twins, due to our nearly identical appearance. The teen in freshman year who decided to dress up as me in order to confuse the paparazzi. The one who had a habit of analyzing and memorizing faces down to the nearest blackhead. She and I had been close friends since kindergarten. How could she not recognize me?

Suddenly, the magician's eyebrows rose in realization. It had finally donned on her. Disgusted, Aya shouted, "BABYSITTING?!?!" She then proceeded to bang on the door, shouting at the wood in three different languages: Japanese, English, and French. "Hattori Itachi, you're kidding me!"

Aya continued doing this until I finally tugged on her T-shirt. Now aware of her audience, she gave a sheepish, apologetic smile. "Oneechan?" I asked, using my 'little kid' voice. "Aren't we going to the mall?"

The magician had chatted with me the entire bus ride. She covered trivial things; school, homework, sports... anything in order to fill the silence. In the few moments that words weren't exchanged, she shuffled playing cards or performed some magic trick. The entire ride, a smile had never left Aya's face. She dealt with kids on a daily basis, so it didn't seem awkward to her at all.

I, on the other hand, was too busy trying not to hyperventilate. Being a performer, Kuroba was an expert in the art of reading people. It would only be a matter of time before my closest friend (other than Itachi) would find out that "Christie" wasn't, well, _normal_.

* * *

From outside the mall, a short blond stood waving at us furiously. Her hair was really short, pulled back by a headband. She wore a Kashmir sweater and mini-skirt, topped off with a pair of Uggs imported from the U.S. Crystal's Sterling Silver heart pendent only managed to compliment her Vera Bradley purse, which hung on the crook of her arm. "Oi, Aya! Over here!" she called.

Aya, being the oh-so wonderful babysitter she was, left me standing at the bus stop in order to run up to her friend and land a backwards flip inches from the other girl. Of course, it wasn't like Kuroba could do anything normally. After hugging and exchanging the usual hellos, the magician turned around and proceeded to shout across the crowd, "Yo, Shorty, come over here!!!!"

I sighed. Shorty; that was a first. Normally, I was at least 4 cm taller than her, give or take. I trudged over towards my two friends as Aya quietly explained to Crystal how she got stuck babysitting. The good news: She obviously had no clue who I really was. The bad news: I was an annoying, gullible brat. Gazing up at them, I asked, "How long do I have to hold this stupid teddy bear?"

"Christie-kun, this is Makoto Crystal-chan. Just because she's rich, doesn't mean you can borrow money from her," Aya informed me as she twirled the stuffed animal out of existence. "Crystal, this is Itachi-kun's temporary little sister." With a snap, a wad of bills appeared in the magician's hand. "Oh, and keep your purse zipped, will ya?"

Crystal, with an irritated look on her face, yanked the money out of her friend's hand. "Geez," she griped. "Ever since Karasu went missing, you've been pulling all of your pranks on me. And, for the record, my purse _was_ zipped."

My head jerked up. "What did you just say?!" I spat. I told them that I was on a case, didn't I?

The rich girl in front of me looked utterly bewildered at my sudden question. "Um, I said that my purse was zipped."

"No, before that!"

"Oh!" Makoto gave me one of those fake smiles before patting me on the head. "That's really none of your business. It's just some boring adult stuff."

Kuroba elbowed her, budding in. "Oh, please! Hattori and Kudo are practically a married couple. The least we could do is tell Itachi's little sis what happened to Karasu." An evil glint shown in her blue irises. "You see, Karasu was this big-shot detective and a classmate of ours. About a month ago, while on a _date_ with Hattori-kun, she saw a suspicious person and decided to follow him. That was her first big mistake."

I tried to keep my eyebrow from twitching. _We weren't on a date!_

"Turns out," the teen continued. "She didn't have as many fans as she thought. This guy probably decided the world could go with one less Kudo, and , BAM, she's gone!" At the word 'bam,' she clapped her hands together, causing pink smoke to come out of nowhere. "Nobody's sure what really happened, but I think she got abducted by aliens."

Fed up, I finally told her in a whiny voice, "But that's WRONG! Karasu-neechan is on a case with Daddy right now."

"Really?" pressed Aya, angry that I ruined her fun. "Just how do you know that?"

"Uh... uh, um..."

That's when we all heard a scream.

* * *

AN: Well, I finally finished another chapter. Look, I'm sorry I haven't been posting, but 2009-2010 has been the most horrible year ever in my hometown. I'm starting to think I live in Beika. Not the point. I'll try to post more, but I can't guarantee. Also, Aya is Aoko and Kaito's daughter, while Crystal is Sonoko and Makoto's daughter. Yes, somebody died. Who's the culprit? Next time, on The Weasel and the Crow!


End file.
